The Amador Fire Protection District and the Sutter Creek Fire department have released their numbers for the month of June. The numbers remain high. The Amador Fire Protection District Battalion’s responded to 119 incidents in June 2007 in the areas which include Pioneer, Pine Grove and Plymouth. The calls included 63 medical aids & 26 vehicle accidents which accounted for 77 percent of the total incidents.  9 of the incidents were fire related: 2 structure fires, 2 vehicle fire and 5 vegetation fires.  47% of the total calls occurred between the hours of 8:00 am and 5:00 pm. Sutter Creek Fire crews responded to 45 calls of which 66 percent were medical calls, 11 percent fire related calls, and 4 vehicle accident, 2 with injuries

Amador County’s budget has seen better days, or more specifically better years. CAO Terri Daly told the BOS on Tuesday that there is never an easy year for a budget and she said that is the way she thinks it should be, because a challenging budget ensures staff is being efficient for the year. “This year is especially challenging year because of reduced revenues from many sources,” said Daly. Since this is the first year that two Supervisors, Oneto and Novelli, are new to the board, Daly explained the budget process. She said the budget starts in January every year and the board issues budget instructions that include strategies for the upcoming fiscal year. She said this year those instructions were no new programs and personnel, and that the budget maintain a 3% contingency for the general fund, which she later explained is for emergency situations.

Californians are buying less gas these days according to State the Board of Equalization and AAA. State tax figures show a decline in gasoline sales -- the first sustained drop since 1992. Californians bought 112 million fewer gallons from April to December 2006 than during the same period the year before. In February, the most recent month for which figures are available, the state's drivers bought 2.5% less gasoline than in February 2006.

Have you ever received a gift card that you did not think you would use only to loose the value of the card? Legislation by Senator Ellen Corbett (D-San Leandro) would change that by strengthening consumer rights for gift cards passed the Senate last week. In 2006, more than $8 billion in gift cards went unspent in the United States.  Senator Corbett’s bill, Senate Bill 250, allows consumers to redeem cash for the remaining value on gift cards, as long as the value is below $20.

If you’re looking for a large animal to adopt the El Dorado County animal shelter may be able to help you out. Livestock currently looking for homes include “Roaming Joe”, a special needs quarter horse mix that is 23 years old and requires a special diet and regular veterinary care for his teeth.  Two other horses are also available:  “Woody”, a 10-year-old Arabian gelding, and “Dusty”, a 12-year-old mustang mix.  “Goldie” is a 13-year-old Jenny donkey waiting for a home.  All of these animals are in good health and came to the shelter as strays.  Owners were either not found or relinquished the animals to shelter staff.

Recreation managers for the Eldorado National Forest want to learn what people think about proposed minor fee increases at 15 Forest Service operated recreation sites and three new fee sites beginning in 2008. The Forest Service is proposing that campers pay two dollars more next year to camp in five different campgrounds in the Eldorado National Forest. Two dollar increases are also proposed for four trailheads and separate 10, 20, and 25 dollar increases are proposed for three recreation rentals. The additional funds collected at each site will help pay for repair, maintenance, and enhancement of the recreation facilities and other activities such as interpretive programs, recreation site restoration, law enforcement, and facility improvements.

Memorial Day weekend traditionally marks the beginning of summer, and the nearing end of the school year.  Before the celebration begins, the Amador Unit of the California Highway Patrol (CHP) wants to remind Amador county motorists to plan ahead, designate a driver, and wear their seat belts. The CHP is joining with local law enforcement agencies throughout the country in a two-week effort known as the “2007 Click It or Ticket Mobilization, Seat Belt Tickets Save Lives”. Not only will the CHP be out in full force this weekend, so will the Amador County Sheriff’s department, Jackson Police Department, Sutter Creek Police Department and Ione Police Department.

Yesterday afternoon a four car accident occurred on Hwy 88 just outside of the Jackson City limits near Bonnefoy Rd. The accident involved a pile up that occurred after a white Dodge pick up truck, driven by Tim Wilson of Pioneer stopped on Hwy 88 for traffic stopped in front of him. The vehicle behind Wilson, a 1987 Honda Motorcycle driven by Cody Davidson, also of Pioneer, also stopped as did Lorraine Nunez of Pioneer who was directly behind Davidson in her 2002 Toyota Camry. A 16 year old Pioneer girl suddenly observed the traffic in front of her as being stopped and she applied her brakes, however, according to the CHP report written by Officer Melissa Scobee, sue to her unsafe speed she was unable to stop. The teen then slid into Nunez, Nunez the hit Davidson, ejecting him from the motorcycle, and continued forward hitting Wilson as well.  The motorcycle driver, Davidson, was taken to the hospital by ambulance. The accident is under investigation by the California Highway Patrol.

U.S. and Iraqi forces exchanged fire with suspected Sunni insurgents earlier today, killing two and wounding four of them during a massive search for three missing American soldiers. The search is taking place in a volatile area south of Baghdad, according to the Iraqi army. An al-Qaida front group, the Islamic State in Iraq, claimed Sunday that it had captured U.S soldiers in a deadly attack on a U.S. convoy the day before in Sunni area south of Baghdad that is known as the "triangle of death" - a longtime al-Qaida stronghold.

According to Menu Foods, the manufacturer of pet food that began recalling that food over contamination issues, their recall is now expanding. The original recall included wet cat and dog food produced with adulterated wheat gluten supplied by ChemNutra Inc.  Menu Foods is now expanding the recall to include cuts and gravy and select other products which do not include ChemNutra wheat gluten but which were manufactured at any of Menu Foods’ plants during the period that ChemNutra wheat gluten was used at that plant. The new concern is over the possibility of cross-contamination. Menu Foods has received a report from a customer and has received study results, both of which indicate cross-contamination. As a result, Menu advises the public:-  Additional items in the United States and Canada have been added to the recall list as well.